Posts from 2018 (Page 5)
Home Posts 2018 Page 5

Posts from 2018 (Page 5)

An Open Letter to the Suffering Christian

As we enter into the suffering of Christ in the Easter events, here is an open letter to a suffering Christian. “Dear friend, What words can I say to you when your life is hard and you are hurting? If we were face to face, I probably wouldn’t start with words at all. I would want you to talk when you are able. I want to know you, what you are going through, what it is like for you, and…

God’s Sovereign Plans Behind Your Most Unproductive Days

“By all means, make your list of to-dos for the day. By all means, get as good at that as you can get. Prioritise the list. Get first things first. Make your plan. Do the very best you can. Go ahead and read a book about it. Then walk in the peace and freedom that, when it shatters on the rocks of reality, which it will most days, remember, you’re not being measured by God by how much you get…

Anger Met with Tears

“Most of my grandchildren cried the first time I corrected them. We would talk about what happened, all would be fine, and by the next correction they had immunity to the thought that my correction was personal rejection. This grandson, however, has affection for me that goes deeper—even deeper than his desire to hoard his Halloween candy. For him, correction communicates that his grandfather is not pleased with something about him, and the perceived interruption of love is too much…

What to do when people are disappointing and the church lets you down

“People are so disappointing, aren’t they? One doesn’t have to be around church very long to discover that people let you down. The reason there are no perfect churches is that there are no perfect people. Add a sinner to a room full of sinners and it is hardly surprising that we encounter sin. Welcome yet another failure into a church full of failures and it is little wonder that people will let you down. Given that the church is the sum…

The Scariest Book I’ve Ever Read

“John Piper once said that it isn’t books that change people, but sentences. That has certainly been my experience with John Owen. In all I’ve read from him, there is one sentence that comes to mind most often, a simple one: Sin aims always at the utmost.” Read more…

Why I Thank God for my Painful Midlife Crisis

This could be good reading for you if you’re in or approaching that mid-life stage. “The disorientation of midlife is the result of the collision of a powerful personal awareness and a powerful personal interpretation… Suddenly we see things about ourselves that have been developing for years but went by unnoticed.” Read more…

Instilling Gratitude in your Family

“Gratitude does not come naturally to us, but it can be cultivated. It helps to switch us from a perspective of need to one of contentment. It acknowledges that no matter my condition, my possessions, my sufferings, or my blessings, we are rich in ways the world can not quantify.” Read more…

Invite Someone to Sunday Lunch

“What would happen in your church if new visitors received multiple invitations for a meal after the service? When my husband and I were first married, I remember one specific comment from our pastor’s sermon, “Just put on a pot of soup before church and then invite someone over you’ve never met before.” The idea had never crossed my mind. In many ways, hospitality seemed most comfortable inviting friends over to well-planned meals. But inviting strangers over? Over our years…

The Lamb That Takes Away the Sins of Australia

“Can lamb bring us together? Can lamb chop out our differences? That’s the rather cheeky claim of the latest lamb ad in Australia. Australian lamb ads are becoming a tradition in themselves. Almost as traditional as Australia Day. And Australia Day is nearly upon us. It’s 26th January. At least it is this year. That could change, given the rejection of the day by many Aboriginal Australians. So, ironically, the lamb ads that reach their zenith, just in time for…